Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a Aaa rating to the town’s $2.51M bonds to be issued and sold on Thursday (January 26) to finance…

Wayland Town Crier 8/9/11:  Local towns cautious but confident in credit ratings. The historic downgrade of the federal government's credit rating has trickled down to Massachusetts municipalities, but treasurers in area towns are cautiously optimistic they'll still be able to borrow at low rates.

Some local communities' credit ratings have come under scrutiny, with the volatility across government ratings leaving other towns wondering what could happen to interest rates as they try to finance projects.

Since the recent fight in Congress to raise the country's debt ceiling, Moody's Investors Service lowered its outlook for 12 Massachusetts towns, including Wayland and Weston, from stable to negative. Those towns keep their AAA ratings, the highest possible, but the change in outlook means Moody's is wary that those towns' ratings will remain at AAA over the next year or two.

Town staff in those communities, though, insist they're just as fiscally sound today as they've ever been.

Boston Globe 7/29/11: Moody’s warns Mass. towns of credit downgrades from Political Intelligence. Moody’s Investors Service announced late yesterday that it is reviewing credit ratings…

Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Town receives perfect credit rating from Moody's Investors Service. Despite the crippled economy, the town of Wayland received a perfect credit rating from Moody’s Investor Service late last month. Moody’s Investors Service conducts research and analysis of commercial and government finances, and assesses the credit worthiness of borrowers. The rating indicates "the continuing confidence of independent evaluators of the town’s fiscal condition, management and long-term financial planning," said Town Administrator Fred Turkington. He said the purpose of the rating process is to give investors a comfort level when they are purchasing bonds. According to the Moody’s report, the town’s rating is based on a number of factors including "substantial wealth levels that greatly exceed commonwealth medians," and a healthy financial position. The town has also "demonstrated strong voter support for operating overrides and has a modest debt burden that is expected to remain very manageable." "Wayland’s financial strength has improved significantly due to management’s conservative approach to budgeting revenues and managing expenditures," the report said.